Tomb Raider: Into the Portal
by macmoosie
Summary: Lara must find the Mayan Halo Ring, in an attempt to find Avalon and rescue her mother, but with a complication: Amanda Evert is trying to beat her to it. Continues from 'Let the Rain Fall'. Rated T for violence and language. Read and Review!
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or Lara Croft, nor am I affiliated with Eidos or Crystal Dynamics in any way. I do own the original characters featured in this story.

Author's Note: Continuation to the OneShot 'Let the Rain Fall'. Rated T for violence and language.

* * *

1/

I pushed open the front doors to my manor, the lighting struck in sync with the thunder behind me. I slammed the doors behind me as I stepped through the foyer. Tossing the car keys on the coffee table in the living room, I made my way upstairs to change out of my wet clothes.

I went over to the sink in the bathroom in my bedroom and leaned over it, wringing my hair out like a mop. I grabbed an elastic, and after drying and brushing my hair, I put it up into a ponytail.

Making my way downstairs in my silk pajamas, my white, silk robe flying behind like a cape, I headed to the Tech Room where Bryce sat at the computer.

"Have you heard?", I ask, typing on one of the unoccupied computers.

"Yes", he replied, "Hillary told me."

I shook my head as I typed, "She just can't take a hint, can she?", I cursed under my breath.

I found the documentations on the Mayan Halo Ring and read them over again. I was sure that there was some sort of clue, a red flag…something that would give a hint to where I might find more information.

I shook my head in disappointment as the results were slim. I turned to Bryce, "Do you think Alexander might have information on the ring? I mean, you don't think he made all of that up in an attempt to kill me? Surely he must have something."

"Not sure.", Bryce replied, turning to face me, "But it's worth a shot. I'll try and pinpoint a 5-block radius from his phone call."

I walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "No need. I think I know exactly where to find him."

**-Tomb Raider-**

After some breakfast the next morning, I dressed in a casual ensemble; a pair of jeans, black tank top, denim jacket, and boots. I headed to the garage and removed from the rack, the keys to the Lotus Type 72D - the latest of the Croft Car Collection. It was jet black, with gold accents, interior, and rims.

I sank into the driver's side seat and ignited the engine, turning the CD player on. I selected U2's With or Without You and drove out of the garage. Before leaving the grounds, I removed my pair of black sunglasses from the console and put them on.

Crossing over the Vauxhall Cross bridge, I gazed upon the Mi6 building, sitting on the River Thames. It was a sight I didn't normally see - as a matter of fact, I do believe I've only seen it in person twice before now.

Smiling at the architecture, I continued onward to my destination. Moments later, I pulled up to an office building in mid-London. Stepping out of the sports car, I removed my sunglasses before looking up, surveilling the building. I clipped the sunglasses to the neck of my tank top and stepped inside.

Making my way to the receptionist, she gave me a warm smile. "Hello, may I help you?"

"Hello, is Mr. White available?"

She nodded, "Indeed he is. May I ask your name?"

"Lara Croft."

She smiled and dialed a four digit number on the telephone next to her. She spoke briefly into it, announcing the presence of Mr. White's guest. She directed me to the elevator with directions to get to his office - information I already had.

I pressed the button for the 14th floor and listened to the elevator music - Mozart's Requiem. A poor choice for an elevator if you ask me. When the doors opened, I stepped out of the elevator, instantly inhaling the aroma of coffee and pastry.

As I walked to Mr. White's office, there was a box of doughnuts outside of the employee lounge. I snagged myself a treat on the way, a simple glazed. I finished it just as I reached the door to his office. Wiping my hands on the napkin I picked up, I threw it into the nearby trashcan and knocked on the door, respectively.

"Come in.", the voice on the other side said.

I opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind me. I walked over to his desk, in which he stood from his seat and kissed my hand.

"Lady Croft, a pleasure to see you again.", he greeted, gesturing to the leather chair next to me, "Please, have a seat."

He stepped over to the table nearest the door and offered me some tea, in which I couldn't refuse. I sipped it slowly - tasting the exotic Casablanca Twist flavor. It was exquisite. Lowering the cup from my lips, I smiled warmly, "You do know what this is about?"

Mr. White nodded slowly, "Yes". He set aside his cup and began typing on his computer. A moment later, the printer activated, my eyes darting to the right of me to identify the noise. A paper was pushed out, in which he grabbed and placed in front of me.

I put my cup on his desk and read over the paper.

"He's in Prague now.", he said, as I skimmed over the document.

I vowed never to visit Prague again, unless it was absolutely necessary…especially after the Nephilim incident. I exhaled as I read the precise location. He resided on the other end of Prague, away from the remnants of Eckhardt's lab. I was calm again.

Folding the paper and putting it in my pocket, I finished my tea and thanked him for his help. Leaving the office, I put my sunglasses back on and bid good day to the receptionist. I got in my car and drove back to the manor.

I didn't bother parking in the driveway, I just parked outside of the main doors on the gravel driveway. I showed Hillary and Bryce the document and requested that they arrange a flight to Prague almost immediately. My flight was tomorrow night at 7pm.

**-Tomb Raider-**

At the airport, I was happy to have been the first person in first class. I set my backpack on the seat next to me and put in the headphones of my MP3 player. Browsing my play lists, I finally settled on one and relaxed in the rather comfortable seat.

The flight seemed rather short, although it wasn't. When I got off the plane, I decided to walk to my destination. It was a 15 minute walk, so it wasn't too bad. When I arrived, Alexander's car wasn't there. I thought I'd drop in on him, but I'd guess he'll have to drop in on me.

I picked the lock to his apartment and stepped inside, quickly looking over any documents he may have lying around. I headed to the kitchen and made myself some tea as I waited for him. About three hours later, I heard the insertion of a key into the lock of the door.

Standing behind it, the door opened to face me, so I wouldn't be spotted. The moment he stepped into the apartment, I slammed the door behind him, making him jump and practically leap forward.

I stood before him, my arms crossed. "What's wrong? Looks like you've seen a ghost."

His face was white. Guaranteed from the shock of seeing me alive - he pulled out a handgun from his jacket. I kicked it out of his hand, the pistol descending from the air. I grabbed it and aimed it at him; a CZ-G 2000.

"You're lucky I couldn't have taken a gun on the flight here or else I'd have shot you in the kneecaps the minute you stepped through that door, so I want some answers. Now."

* * *

How was that? I decided to continue 'Let the Rain Fall', especially since I was told it had the making of a good, full, chaptered story. I enjoyed writing this chapter, as I will the next, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or Lara Croft, nor am I affiliated with Eidos or Crystal Dynamics in any way. I do own the original characters featured in this story.

Author's Note: Continuation to the OneShot 'Let the Rain Fall'. Rated T for violence and language.

* * *

2/

When Alexander came to, he was tied to a wooden dining chair, his arms behind the chair, tied with rope. I leaned against the wall, waiting. He shook his head as he woke up and looked around. I walked over to him and slammed my fist into his face, making him groan and whine.

He winced, enduring the pain in his nasal region.

"Aww, I think I broke it.", I mocked, "Now, tell me what I want to know."

He nodded without hesitation. "Okay, okay!". He shook his head again, trying to wash away the pain. "I wanted to prevent you from getting to Avalon."

"Why?", I asked blankly.

"Because. The…". He hesitated for a moment. "The ring not only when used opens a portal to Avalon…it…can destroy civilization as we know it."

I nodded, "And you wanted to use it to destroy the world."

He didn't say anything. Strumming my fingers along my arm, I thought about something. "Is there a way to open the portal without destroying the world?"

No response. I slapped him hard in the face. "Answer me!"

He breathed heavily, "Yes. There is. If you can find the ancient scion of Kathmandu, and use it with the ring…it'll activate the portal only, preserving the world as it is."

"How do I know you're being truthful?", I asked cautiously.

"What have I to gain by lying?", he replied.

"Your wish to destroy the world."

"I didn't want to destroy the world. I simply just didn't want you to get to Avalon."

I shook my head in disappointment, "Where's the scion?"

Yet again, no response. I slapped him again, "Do you have a short attention span, or something? Pay attention."

"Find the Mayan Halo Ring, then you'll find the scion."

"And where's the ring?"

"Check my computer."

I did as he suggested and accessed the files to the ring. I read them over with pleasure and removed the hard drive from his computer and put it in my backpack. I headed for the door, leaving him tied.

"Don't do anything you'll regret. I don't think you'll enjoy seeing me again."

I headed outside, the sun shining brightly outside. It was a lovely day in Prague, I must say. I walked back to the airport and booked a flight back to London - the next flight was in four hours.

I decided to try some of the local cuisine at a restaurant a few blocks over. The Lvi Dvur Restaurant looked a promising home to Czech taste. My order was pretty good, I might add. I left the restaurant with three hours to go.

Walking down the street to the bookstore, it didn't take me long to realize I was being followed. I removed my cell phone from my backpack and held it down by my side. A click later, I had a picture of my pursuer.

Male, Caucasian. Approximately in his early 30's. I smirked to myself and looked up at the alleyway closing in on my right. I stopped in front of it and peered to my right, to see that it was a direct route to the next street.

A moment later, I was sprinting down the alley. I heard the footsteps of my boots being complimented by the footsteps of dress shoes and knew he was coming after me. Darting left onto the next street, I dodged pedestrians and headed to the next.

The next street was somewhat deserted, except for a few parked cars. I heard him closing in, so I ran towards a telephone pole. Leaping forward, I kicked off the pole and spun 180 degrees, extending my opposite leg, kicking my adversary down.

I jumped on top of him and pressed the CZ-G 2000 to his temple. "Who are you?", I demanded an answer.

"I'm a hired gun. Orders from James West to kill you if he couldn't."

I smirked, "Well, that sucks, because you just failed your mission."

I pulled the trigger and quickly put the gun back in my backpack and evacuated the area. Turning the corner, I noticed pedestrians running from the sound of the gunshot, and a woman telephoning the authorities from the front porch of her apartment.

** -Tomb Raider-**

When I arrived back home, I had Bryce upload the contents of Alexander's hard drive to our computer systems. He deciphered the firewalls and accessed the information, uploading it to our system.

I found the approximated coordinates to the temple of the Mayan Ring. The coordinates lead to Chichen Itza in Mexico. Made sense to me. I typed some notes into my cell phone (the benefits of having a Blackberry) and headed upstairs. I needed some rest after a long day.

Running the bath water, I quickly made my way back to my room to set down my backpack and gear. I went back to the bathroom just in time to turn the water off. After a few minutes of silence, I reached for the remote on top of the end-table in the bathroom and turned the radio on.

I browsed through the channels; talk shows, easy listening, heavy metal, and hip hop, until I finally settled on easy listening. I leaned back and relaxed, enjoying the sounds of music, until the telephone rang.

I pressed a button on the remote, in which it sent an electronic notification on the 3D map of my home, telling Hillary which room I was in. Most of the rooms in the house have them, either on the walls, on the telephone, or in this case, on the remote control.

Hillary spoke on the intercom, that sent the voice throughout the whole house. "Lady Croft, you've a telephone call."

"Who is it?", I replied, pressing the appropriate button to speak.

A pause. "They'd rather not say. Shall I ask again?"

I sighed, "No, that's all right. I'll get it in a minute."

Getting out of the bathtub, leaving the water in it, I grabbed a towel and quickly dried myself. Wrapping the towel around me, I went to my bedroom and picked up the phone.

"Hello?", I answered, putting the receiver to my ear.

"Hello, Lara."

My head turned straight up as I recognized the voice. I felt flames in my eyes as I heard the familiar voice and remembered the past I had shared with it's owner. "Amanda. You bitch. If I ever find you, I swear I'll--"

"Whoa, whoa", she interrupted, "Is that any way to speak to someone willing to help you get to Avalon?"

I raised an eyebrow, too angry to use logical thinking. "What are you talking about?"

She sighed on the other line, "Didn't that West guy tell you? I've been looking for clues to open the portal to Avalon. I was going to surprise you and tell you I've reached a breakthrough when I'd found it."

I was seriously confused. Hadn't she been trying to prevent me from getting to Avalon? A flashback occurred through my mind as I tried to think of why she'd be willing to help. Was this just a façade?

_I had my gun pointed at Amanda on the mountain top in Bolivia. The destroyed stone dais stood behind us, and Excalibur sat thrust into the ground off to the side._

_"She's not dead! She went were I was supposed to go - where you could have gone!"_

_I tightened my grip on the pistol, my finger dancing with the trigger. "Make sense right this second or I swear, I'll execute you where you stand". My eyes narrowed in anger._

_"I told you to pull out the sword, I told you!"_

_I had enough. I aimed the gun off to the side of Amanda's head, switching to the other side as I pulled the trigger. "Where…is…my…mother!"_

_"Avalon!", she finally screamed, her arm covering her face in an attempt to defend herself, "It's not a myth! Don't you get it?". She breathed heavily, trying her hardest. "You'll never understand. I'm wasting my breath."_

_I stood down, my aim on her disappeared. I turned to walk away, but quickly turned back around, whacking her in the face with the pistol. I leaned over her and breathed heavily in fury._

_"From this moment, your every breath is a gift from me."_

I shook my head as the flashback faded. "Why are you trying to help me? What were your intentions when you got to Avalon?"

"Lara", she began, "I know I was angry at you for leaving me in Le Paz. I know I didn't accept your apology. All of this negative energy surging between us needs to end. I was a villain on my part, trying to prevent you from getting to your mother, in an attempt to exact my revenge. But I realized that what I was doing was terrible. I already lost my mother…I don't think you need to either."

I still didn't quite understand her sudden change of heart, but I wasn't going to turn down professional help. Amanda was…is quite the archaeologist. One might even say she's my counterpart. I wasn't about to turn her down. If she was willing to help, I was willing to accept.

"All right. What've you got?"

* * *

Chapter Two complete. Wasn't that an interesting read? Please review!


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or Lara Croft, nor am I affiliated with Eidos or Crystal Dynamics in any way. I do own the original characters featured in this story.

Author's Note: Continuation to the OneShot 'Let the Rain Fall'. Rated T for violence and language.

* * *

3/

An hour or two later, the doorbell rang. Hillary greeted our guest and escorted her to the living room. I was in my bedroom changing into casual clothes - a pair of khakis with a black leather belt, a white tank top, and brown boots.

I descended the main stairwell and headed to the living room. I opened the door, and stepped inside, closing it behind me. Hillary was serving our guest tea, and as I walked in, he prepared myself some as well.

Amanda stood up and shook my hand. Smart of her for knowing not to give a friendly hug - I didn't trust her completely yet. We sat down almost simultaneously, myself in the armchair across from her, on the other side of the coffee table.

She still looked the same, although the goth look was slowly fading away. She wore a black shirt with the logo of a band I had never heard of on the front, dark blue jeans, and black-on-white Converses.

Her hair wasn't snow-white anymore - it was back to her original strawberry blonde. Her makeup was light as well; a thin layer of eyeliner and a lipstick that complimented the season.

We talked, personally. Before we got down to business. From what she told me, I gathered that her sense of right over wrong got the best of her, and she somewhat abandoned the evil being she once was.

It was only a matter of time before (out of her own curiosity, in which I didn't slander) she asked what I had done with the Unknown Entity stone. I had told her that I buried it somewhere in Peru, but I didn't give her an exact location. She didn't ask.

The business chat took over our conversation sooner or later. She told me that whilst on an expedition, she found something on the Mayan Halo Ring. She's been investigating it for some time now - and she has pretty much the same information I do.

She confirmed the rumors of it being able to unleash a destruction on civilization and that the scion of Kathmandu can prevent it. Alexander wasn't lying - what a surprise. I had a few thoughts going through my mind, however. Like, what if Amanda planned on unleashing the destruction of civilization? What if she wanted to play me just to get that? It wouldn't surprise me, though. I guess I'll have to keep a sharp eye on her.

I arranged a private mode of transportation by air for us to get to the Chichen Itza tomorrow morning. I invited her to stay in one of the guest rooms, in which she had accepted, but had said she'd need to return to the hotel to grab her belongings and check out. She had mentioned that her current permanent residence was in Sydney, Australia. She moved just last month.

I thought that inviting her to stay at the manor was a friendly gesture, and a good idea if one wanted to observe someone. Although, I must say, Amanda surely didn't seem evil. Her intentions seemed one hundred percent sincere. I shan't let that block my vision, though.

**-Tomb Raider-**

The next morning, approximately at an early 4:24am, I headed downstairs to the Tech Room to do some more investigating on the Halo ring. Nothing of interest that I hadn't spotted before, until I spotted something interesting in the texture of the ring.

I quickly made my way to Amanda's room to wake her. I showed her the design, in which she stayed to study further. I cursed under my breath as I made my way across the manor grounds to get to Bryce's trailer home.

I finally reached it and repeatedly knocked on the door. I heard clutter from the other side and knew he was making his way to the door. He opened it, giving me a warm smile, in which I returned with a questioning smirk.

"We have 83 rooms. Why can't you live in the house?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm a free spirit, me."

I nodded. "Right."

He looked around and quickly inhaled the morning air. "What's that smell?", he asked.

"5am.", I replied, knocking once more on the side of the door. "Let's go."

-Tomb Raider-

"Now, that is interesting", Bryce commented as he inspected the digital picture. He selected a part of the picture and zoomed in, trying to find anything that would be recognizable. "Hello, hello!".

"What is it?", Amanda asked, squinting at the screen.

He pointed to a set of letters inside of the ring. "You see those markings there? Those are coordinates."

"Leading to what?", I asked.

"Well, judging by the design that we can see from the naked eye, I would think they're the coordinates to where you're supposed to activate the ring."

Amanda smiled and exhaled in a sign of relief. "So, if we find the ring, we find where to go to use it."

"Precisely."

"Well, that makes things easier, doesn't it?", I said happily, "Well, our plane takes off in five hours. I think I'll catch myself another two hours of sleep before having a spot of breakfast. Amanda?"

She nodded, "I think I'll do the same. See you in a few."

**-Tomb Raider-**

I stood inside of my walk in closet, browsing amongst the hundreds of clothing items resting inside. I finally settled on a pair of beige cargo pants, black boots, and a black tank top. I removed my brown backpack from the coat hanger and put inside my cell phone, a map to the surrounding areas of our destination, some flares, and a bottle of iced water.

I took my belt and holsters from the closet and put it on, sliding my dual Heckler & Koch USP Match handguns into the holsters. I clipped my grapple and binoculars to the front of the belt and headed to the kitchen, putting my hair up in a ponytail on the way.

Amanda was already there, making herself a cup of coffee. She wore black khakis, a black-on-white plaid button up shirt. The shirt was only buttoned up a little above her torso, so that the white tank top she wore underneath was visible. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and she was sporting a black wrist watch on her left wrist.

Her backpack was black leather, with a strap crossing over her chest to prevent easy loss. Her belt and holster combo was a dark gray, with dual Glock 18 handguns in the holsters. The grappling hook she had was on the backside of her belt, as the binoculars were on the front.

I made a plate of toast for the both of us, spreading jam on mine. I poured myself a cup of hot tea and sipped it quietly. When we finished, we said goodbye to Hillary and Bryce who had wished us luck, and stepped outside of the manor. We left the grounds and proceeded to the street, where a private car waited to take us to the airfield. On board the plane, Amanda read a magazine as I read a copy of the novel I was currently reading that I kept on board.

When the plane neared the drop zone, we prepared our parachutes and leapt out of the plane from the cargo hold. When we landed, we ditched the parachutes and checked the GPS. The temple was about three clicks north of our location.

Amanda took point as I followed. Moments later, we reached the temple, and it was a beautiful one too. It rested along a coastline, where a river flowed behind it, most likely the water source used to keep the traps moving.

Upon further inspection, we found the entrance along the East side. It was quiet inside, except for the occasional bat screech now and again. The floors were dusty and caked with dirt and mud, whilst the walls were covered in cobwebs and grime.

We reached a narrow, yet good sized hallway, that was completely empty. We both shared the same thoughts as I picked up a stone and chucked it down the hallway. As expected, blades sprung from both sides of the walls, spinning ferociously.

Amanda went first, her boots slamming against the stone floor. Nearing where the blades showed, she leapt into a swan dive, and executed a few cartwheels to quickly make her way down the way. When she reached safety, she checked to make sure her gear was intact and gave me the okay.

I looked for any other ways of reaching her, and noticed some vines at the top of the room. I sprinted forward, closing in on the left wall. I leapt for it, kicking off, and grabbing the green at the top. It was, to my satisfaction, sturdy. I began climbing forward and picked my legs up as the blades popped out. I dropped down next to Amanda and we proceeded further into the temple.

We reached a room that seemed corroded by time. Some stones in the walls were out of place, the floor was broken up in some places, and there were open spots in the ceiling and hanging vines everywhere.

Amanda looked around and found a switch on the wall. She inspected the room further before asking if it should be activated. I saw no reason not to, so she pressed the switch, and a pillar in the middle of the room raised from the floor.

On the display case on the pillar laid the Mayan Halo Ring we sought. Not many traps for something that can open a portal into what would be a mythical island. I crept over to the case and picked up the ring.

It was exactly how it looked in the pictures, the text inside and all. It was coordinates, written in Spanish. I placed it in my pocket and we exited the tomb, heading for the surrounding city. I dialed Bryce and told him we found what we were looking for. I sent him the coordinates, and he pinpointed the location on our GPS.

Neither one of us could believe where it led to: England.

* * *

Chapter Three finished! I liked this one the most so far. What do you think? Please review to let me know! Chapter Four on it's way.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or Lara Croft, nor am I affiliated with Eidos or Crystal Dynamics in any way. I do own the original characters featured in this story.

Author's Note: Continuation to the OneShot 'Let the Rain Fall'. Rated T for violence and language.

* * *

4/

We sat on the plane examining the ring, the same question going through both of our minds. "What could the scion be doing in England?", I finally said, bringing the shared question to the surface.

"I don't know.", Amanda began, "But it does make sense, considering that Avalon is near England, right?"

"I believe so.", I replied, nodding. I thought about what Alexander said and remembered something. "Wait. Alexander said 'if we find the ring, we find the scion'. So the scion is in the same location where we activate the ring."

"Keeps things simple, doesn't it?", Amanda asked, happily.

"Indeed."

Examining the ring further, I smiled at it's ancient design. It was a smidge smaller than a doughnut, and about as thick as a bar of gold. Surprisingly, it was rather light. I'd say, perhaps 4.24lbs total.

I slipped it into my backpack and turned the television on. Flipping through the channels, I found a familiar show on BBC3 - Lily and Friends. Lily Allen was a good musician, in my opinion. Her songs are pretty interesting, especially 'Alfie'. That song was simply humorous.

When we left the airfield, Amanda and I headed to the location straightaway. The coordinates narrowed down to 137 Remington Way, an abandoned warehouse. The main doors were secured with a lock and chain, in which a few bullets broke.

The warehouse held some old furniture and dusty books. We looked around, and the closest thing we found to ancient were the cobwebs and encyclopedias scattered about.

"There has to be some mistake", I said, tossing aside a dirty book, "Maybe we read the coordinates incorrectly."

Amanda felt a nearby wall and pressed a loose fragment in. The wall slid open, revealing a stone staircase. "No, I think we've got it."

I smiled and followed her down into the underground temple. We followed a corroded path and reached what looked like a throne room. A marble display case was in the center, and on top of it was the scion.

Amanda picked it up and examined it. It looked a bit like the Scion of Atlantis, but it was clearly different. On the top of it, there was a piece that looked like a small pedestal with a hook, used to attach the ring to the second artifact.

We hooked them together and looked around for an activation piece. In the center of the display case, where the scion was, there was a small golden switch. Amanda pressed it, and the display case went back into the floor.

The ground began to shake and we stepped back as the center of the floor opened, revealing a portal similar to the stone dais. The portal raised, and beneath it was a section of it that held the two artifacts. Amanda and I placed the joined artifacts together and jumped back as the similar green light consumed the portal.

Amanda and I both exchanged looks before Amanda picked up a stone and threw it into the portal. The rock spun and disappeared inside. We exhaled and grabbed hands. On the count of three, we jumped through and prayed for the best.

**-Tomb Raider-**

I woke up coughing, picking myself up from the ground. Amanda jumped awake and looked around. We were actually in Avalon, and neither one of us could believe it. It looked like a village with vast mountain ranges.

On the top of the highest mountain laid a castle, perhaps were King Arthur rested. Amanda helped me up and we both examined our surroundings. Ahead was a village, busy with people.

We headed to the village, still in minor wonder. The people seemed normal humans living in a normal world, but they didn't seem to notice us. I tapped one man on the shoulder, in which he turned around and smiled.

"Hello, have you seen Amelia Croft?"

He shook his head, "I've never heard of her", he replied in a thick, British accent.

Amanda smiled warmly. "She has black hair, brown eyes. About 5' 11" or 6 feet tall. Her hair is usually in a bun."

"Oh, yes, I remember now. She's being held prisoner at King Arthur's castle", he replied, shaking his head in shame.

"What?!", I nearly screamed, clenching my fists. "What did she do to deserve being held prisoner?!"

The man shrugged his shoulders and apologized before walking away. I turned to Amanda, flames in my eyes. I had to get to that castle immediately. We headed up there, only to find that it was heavily guarded by knights with swords and armor.

I walked up to the front gate, only to find myself being blocked from entry. The two knights crossed their swords, blocking the door. "No one gets in to see the King.", they said simultaneously.

I raised an eyebrow. "The King? King Arthur?"

"Yes, King Arthur. Who else? He owns this castle", one of the knights said. "No entry, though. Sorry."

Amanda and I began to walk away, and the minute we were out of sight, we darted for the rear of the castle. There were four knights on patrol, as we gathered. We examined the walls, and they were perfect for free climbing.

We scaled the walls and finally reached the top of the castle, in which two knights kept a lookout. We managed to sneak behind them and get to an open grate. Dropping through, we landed in the King's Quarters.

After moments of stealth and timed runs, we made it to the dungeon and looked around. There were five doors, leading to different rooms. The third room was locked, forcing us to shoot the lock and kick the door down.

We aimed our guns inside, ready to take out any enemies. I lowered them, however when I saw a familiar face. Amanda covered the door as I approached the woman who was staring at me in wonder.

"Mother?"

I reached for her hand, in which she took mine as well. She stood up and looked me in the eyes. I wasn't sure if she was about to cry. I couldn't believe my eyes either. The mother I knew and thought I had lost thirty one years ago had still looked the same.

"Lara?", she asked, "Could it possibly be you?"

Tears streamed from my eyes as I hugged my mother for the first time in over three decades. "Yes, Mother. It's me. I can't believe I'm seeing you again!"

She cried with me and held me tight. "Lara, I feared I'd never see you again. How ever did you find me?"

"It's a long story. I'll explain everything when we get back home."

Mother smiled and breathed lightly, still overwhelmed with happiness. "How's Richard?", she asked.

I sighed, hugging her again. "Mother…he passed away. He went missing in the field on May 15, some time ago."

"The date of the planetary alignment", she stated, nodding. A tear ran from her eye, and wiped it away before looking up at Amanda.

"Amanda? Amanda Evert?", Mother asked, making her way over. She gave Amanda a quick hug and talked about how she hasn't seen her in ages. It was pretty much a family reunion.

After the formalities, we stealthily snuck through the castle. I held Mother close, strong intentions to protect her. I wasn't going to lose her again. The same thought must have occurred to both Amanda and I; 'how are we going to get back?'.

We found our way to the throne room, where a man in a red robe stood by the window. I readied my guns, looking around. Inside the room was the same portal as the one in Bolivia. Luckily, Excalibur rested in the holster on my backpack and I was prepared to use it.

The man turned around and spotted us, but didn't speak a word. I holstered my weapons and removed Excalibur from the holster and readied it. The man raised an eyebrow at the sword and pointed to it.

"Excalibur?", he asked, switching between looking at the sword and myself.

I nodded. "Are you King Arthur?", I asked, a bit confused by all of this.

He nodded and stepped toward us. I stood in a defensive position, ready to use the sword's powers against him. Amanda stood close to my mother as to protect her. Seeing this, he stopped and looked at me.

"I know who you are, and I know what you want. Hand me the sword, and I'll let you out of here."

I was hesitant, but began walking toward him. I handed him Excalibur and stepped back as he swung it toward the portal. The green light showed as the portal was activated. He bowed his head to us.

"Thank you, Lady Croft. Now, the three of you; into the portal."

I nodded and waited as Amanda and my mother stepped toward the portal. We held hands and jumped through together.

**-Tomb Raider-**

Amanda helped me to my feet as I gathered myself. We were back in the temple in England, under the warehouse. After some travel, we made it back to the manor. Amanda shut the doors behind us, and followed us into the foyer.

"Hillary! Bryce!", I yelled through the house.

The two descended the staircase and stopped in mid-step when they saw my mother. They couldn't believe I had found her after all these years. The five of us sat in the living room and talked for hours.

I couldn't believe I was reunited with my mother - I will never lose her again. Come to find out, she told me that when you're in Avalon, you don't age. She still remained the age she was when she disappeared. Once back in the normal world, everything was back to how it should be, so mother was really 62 years old, and it showed.

Regardless, I had my mother back, and I was insanely happy. Hillary and Bryce told me about an issue that came up whilst we were away - Alexander is after another artifact, but it's a harmless one. Just an Egyptian obelisk. Egypt again. Nothing but pyramids and sand.

Time for another adventure.

* * *

Story complete. Sorry for having to end it this way - I had no ideas on how to continue it once Lara found her mother. Also, since Avalon is fictional, and Tomb Raider Underworld hasn't been released yet, I had to think of my own backdrop for the location. Expect a new Tomb Raider story from me to make up for this short one! Please review!


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